Automatic humidity control for vegetable and fruit storage



06L l9(55 F. A. SCHUMACHER ETAL 3,213,639

AUTOMATIC HUMIDITY CONTROL FOR VEGETABLE AND FRUIT STORAGE Filed June 5, 1964 INVENTORS FRANK A. SCH MA HER g LPH E, KHUC:

THEuQ. ATTORUEV United States Patent 3,213,639 AUTOMATIC HUMIDITY CONTROL FOR VEGETABLE AND FRUIT STORAGE Frank A. Schumacher, Fort Smith, Ark., and Ralph E.

King, Louisville, Ky., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed June 5, 1964, Ser. No. 372,775 2 Claims. (Cl. 62-281) The present invention relates to household refrigerators and is more particularly concerned with an automatic means for maintaining high humidity conditions in bins employed for the storage of vegetables, fruits and the like.

Many modern household refrigerators include mechanical refrigeration systems comprising an evaporator positioned within the fresh food storage compartment of the refrigerator. During operation of the refrigeration system, this evaporator operates at temperatures which are below freezing with the result that moisture contained in the compartment air deposits onto the evaporator surfaces in the form of frost. In order to remove this frost layer, the evaporator is periodically brought to above-freezing temperatures so that the frost melts and flows from the evaporator surfaces for normal discharge outside the storage compartment. In a well-known type of refrigerator, the evaporator is permitted to reach defrosting temperatures between each cycle of operation of the system in order to remove the frost.

The condensation of moisture on the evaporator surfaces results in a substantial lowering of the humidity within the storage compartment, a condition which causes stored vegetables and some fruits to spoil by dehydration. In order to avoid this result, vegetable storage in many refrigerators is accomplished presently by providing a sealed compartment or bin. However, since such bins are not perfectly sealed, and as there is no source of moisture in the bin other than in the stored foods, the foods tend to lose moisture to the air in the bin. While such weight or moisture loss may not be serious in a well filled bin, the fewer the items in the bin, the more rapidly each item will spoil by dehydration. To remedy this situation, some users place a damp sponge or other humidifying means in the bin. However, it is inconvenient for the user to keep the humidifying means as moist as required for good storage.

An object of the present invention is to provide automatic low cost means for providing moisture to a vegetable storage bin or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby defrost water periodically flowing from the evaporator is employed to maintain relatively high humidity conditions within a vegetable bin.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of the specification.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a household refrigerator including a fresh food storage compartment, a defrostable evaporator in the upper portion of the compartment and means for collecting the defrost water flowing from the evaporator and discharging the water onto one of the storage compartment walls. A hydrator or vegetable storage bin is provided in a lower portion compartment and the bin has mounted in one wall thereof adjacent the storage compartment wall, a moistur absorbing material, such as a sponge, having one portion extending into the bin and another portion extending into contact with the ice storage compartment wall so as to be moistened by the defrost water flowing down that wall.

For a better understanding of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view partly in section of a refrigerator cabinet incorporating the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the cabinet of FIGURE 1 with the door to the storage compartment removed; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along line 33 of FIGURE 1.

With reference to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawing, there is shown a household refrigerator cabinet including a fresh food storage cmopartment 1 having an access opening at the front thereof closed by a door 2. In accordance with a usual construction, the storage compartment 1 is maintained at suitable above-freezing temperatures by means of an evaporator 3 forming part of a refrigeration system including a compressor 4. During operation of the compressor 4, compressed refrigerant is fed to a condenser (not shown) and the condensed refrigerant is then fed through a suitable restriction to the evaporator 3 where it evaporates to cool the contents of the compartment 1. The evaporated refrigerant is then withdrawn from the evaporator 3 by the compressor 4.

Storage compartment 1 also includes a plurality of storage shelves 5 and in the lower portion thereof a vegetable storage bin 6 slidably supported below one of the shelves 5 which also forms a lid or cover for the bin 6.

During operation of the refrigeration system including the compressor 4 and evaporator 3, frost collects on the evaporator 3 during each on cycle. In order to remove this frost layer, the evaporator is periodically allowed to attain above-freezing temperatures. This may be accomplished, for example, by permitting the evapora tor 3 to reach defrosting or above-freezing temperatures between each compressor on cycle. The defrost water formed during the defrosting operation flows down the evaporator surfaces into a trough 7 supported on the back wall 8 of the storage compartment and is normally discharged from the storage compartment through a drain tube 9 in the bottom wall of the storage compartment and into a drip tray 10 in heat exchange with the compressor 4 where it is evaporated.

In accordance with the present invention this defrost water is employed to maintain the desired high humidity conditions within the vegetable bin 6. To this end, the vegetable bin 6 is provided with an opening 11 in one wall thereof as for example in the rea wall 12 and a moisture absorbing material 14 such as a sponge-like material is mounted in the opening 11 so that one portion 15 thereof is disposed within the bin 6 while a second portion 16 extends through the opening into contact with one wall of the storage compartment such as the wall 8 when the bin is in its closed position.

The moisture absorbing material 14 is designed to transfer defrost water flowing from the evaporator 3 into the interior of the vegetable bin 6 for hydrating purposes. Any suitable means may be provided for assuring a supply of the defrost water to the sponge 14. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, this means comprises a trough-like channel or recess 18 in the rear wall 8 of the storage compartment positioned to receive defrost water from the drain tube 19 forming part of the trough 7 and to channel that water downwardly along the rear wall 8. The extending portion 16 of the moisture absorbing material 14 is adapted to contact a portion of the rear wall defined by the recess 18 so that some or all of the defrost water flowing down the wall will be absorbed by the moisture absorbing material. This water migrates into the portion of the moisture absorbing material 15 contained within the vegetable bin where the evaporation thereof maintains relatively high humidity conditions within the bin. Any defrost water not absorbed by the moisture absorbing material 14 flows downwardly into the drain 9. By providing sufiicient surface for the portion 15 of the moisture absorbing material within bin 6, the material is capable of supplying all of the moisture requirements for the bin thus cutting down materially on the weight loss of any foods stored in the bin and improving their preservation.

Preferably the material 14 is of sponge-like material, such as a cellulose sponge, and is removably mounted in the opening 11 so that it can be periodically removed and washed at the same time that the vegetable bin is being cleaned.

From the above description, it will be seen that there has been provided a fully automatic means for humiditying a vegetable bin or the like to provide improved vegetable storage conditions regardless of weather the bin is completely filled or only partially filled with vegetables and the like.

While there has been shown and described a specific embodiment of the present invention it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A refrigerator comprising walls defining a storage compartment, a defrostable evaporator in said compartment, means for collecting the defrost water flowing from said evaporator and discharging said water onto one of said walls, a storage bin in said compartment below said evaporator, said bin comprising a moisture absorbing material contacting said wall in the path of said defrost water for absorbing and transferring a portion of said defrost Water into said bin.

2. A refrigerator comprising walls defining a storage compartment, a defrosta-ble evaporator in said compartment, means for collecting the defrost water flowing from said evaporator and discharging said water onto one of said walls, a hydrator storage bin in said compartment below said collecting means, said bin having an opening therein facing said wall, humidifying means comprising a moisture absorbing material mounted in said opening and contacting said wall whereby said humidifying means become moistened with said defrost water and conducts said water into said bin to humidify said bin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,887,125 11/32 Green 62288 1,987,518 7/34 Sandford 62-281 2,107,763 2/38 Potter 6228l 2,131,700 9/38 Whiteley 62281 2,502,893 4/50 Schmidt 62-28l 2,709,900 6/55 Zearfoss 62288 2,730,868 1/56 Philipp 62287 WILLIAM J. WYE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A REFRIGERATOR COMPRISING WALLS DEFINING A STORAGE COMPARTMENT, A DEFROSTABLE EVAPORATOR INS AID COMPARTMENT, MEANS FOR COLLECTING THE DEFROST WATER FLOWING FROM SAID EVAPORATOR AND DISCHARGING SAID WATER ONTO ONE OF SAID WALLS, A STORAGE BIN IN SAID COMPARTMENT BELOW SAID EVAPORATOR, SAID BIN COMPRISING A MOSITURE ABSORBING MATERIAL CONTACTING SAID WALL IN THE PATH OF SAID DEFROST WATER FOR ABSORBING AND TRANSFERRING A PORTION OF SAID DEFROST WATER INTO SAID BIN. 